Zhi-Feng Li; Yin-Yin Zhao; Ya-Qian Zhang & Zhuo-Ran Zhu
Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CI/R) injury significantly endangers cognitive abilities following a cerebral infarction (CI). This research investigated the impact of Paeonia lactiflora L. root extract (PLRE) on a CI/R model using Wistar rats, along with the mechanisms involved. A total of fifty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to five groups: a control group, a group supplemented with 50 mg/kg of PLRE, a CI group, and two CI groups treated with 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of PLRE, each consisting of 10 rats. Cognitive function was evaluated through the Y-maze test. Furthermore, we utilized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time PCR to analyze the expression of genes linked to JNK-mediated TLR4/T3JAM- and ASK1-related apoptosis and inflammatory signaling in the brain. Compared to the control group, the CI group showed a significant delay in maze completion (p<0.05). This group also exhibited markedly higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, along with decreased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines and neurotrophic growth factors [brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)] (p<0.05). Conversely, the group treated with 50 mg/kg PLRE post-CI showed improvements, including reduced electrical stimulation time, elevated levels of neurotrophic growth factors, and a beneficial alteration in the expression profiles of genes related to inflammation and apoptosis (such as glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF-6), TLR4, T3JAM, and ASK1) compared to the CI group (p<0.05). These findings indicate that the PLRE extract may alleviate cognitive deficits following CI in rats, possibly by modulating inflammatory factors secreted by microglia.
KEY WORDS: Paeonia lactiflora L.; Cerebral infarction; Apoptosis; Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion.
LI,Z-F.;ZHAO,Y-Y.;ZHANG,Y-Q.&ZHU,Z-R.EffectsofPaeonialactiflora rootextractonJNK-mediatedinflammatorysignaling and cerebral infarction reduction in acute transient focal ischemia in rats. Int. J. Morphol., 44(1):325-339, 2026.
